The Animal in Hollywood [Hardcover]

John L. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1998

The Animal in Hollywood recounts in frank and chilling detail mob enforcer Anthony Fiato's explosive career in the mafia on both coasts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books; 1st edition (October 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569801266
• ISBN-13: 978-1569801260
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,533,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting stories, Fiato's credibility questionable, June 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Animal in Hollywood (Hardcover)

Fiato has many interesting stories, but most relate to his dealings with low-level "wanna-bes". His encounters with "made guys" are mentioned, but little detail is given. This leads me to believe he had very few meaningful encounters/business dealings with these guys. His claim that he was being groomed to become a "boss" in LA is absurd considering he was never even formally inducted into LCN. The worst part of the book is when Fiato claims his brother was responsible for him turning "rat" - its as if he feels that by using his brother as a scapegoat, he can reclaim any respect he once had. It is clear to the reader, however, that Fiato cooperated to save his own skin, period. The book is a fun read, but I came away thinking there was a little fiction tossed in to make Fiato appear more important than he was.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars YAWN!!!, October 6, 2000

By 

Joseph Jorgensen "Pickledjoe" (Watertown, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Animal in Hollywood (Hardcover)

This book was not a good read. I wasn't sure if Tony's life was not all that interesting or if the author did a poor job telling the story, but I did not get alot from this read. My main complaint is that their is no real continuity to the story. One minute he's a 17 yeart old kid scaring Mob-Hit men and doing jobs with movie stars (Yeah right). The next he is in Boston. Then it's ten years later and he's back in LA for some underdeveloped reason. The best story telling happens after he turns rat, but by that time "Fuhget about it". The book leads off saying he was did work with Tony Spilotro and many other well known mobsters, but by the accounts of the book he only met briefly with most of these guys. He seemed to be well connceted to Mike Rizzatello and essentially ran a street crew under him, but the rest seemed like one long name drop. "I knew a guy whom I knew was assocaited with Neil Delacruca or Ray Patriachia..yadda...yadda." The part towrds the end with Denise Brown was better done, but if i wanted insight to the OJ trial...I'd buy a different book. All and all...if you are a mob diehard and you want to find some info on the LA or Boston mob, then read it for that, but for a story about the life a mafia soldier..re-reading Nicholas Pillegi's Wiseguy is more enjoyabe!

pickledjoe

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars TOO MUCH NAME DROPPING,NOT ENOUGH SUBSTANCE., November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Animal in Hollywood (Hardcover)

I LIKE MOB STORIES.IN PARTICULAR,ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES THE MOB IN LOS ANGELES.THIS ONE WASNT THE WORST I HAVE READ,BUT IT WAS FAR FROM THE BEST.ALTHOUGH FIATO GAVE A GOOD INSIGHT TO STREET LEVEL MOB ACTIVITIES,TO ME HE SPENDS MORE TIME NAME DROPPING EVERY STAR HE HAPPENED TO BRUSH UP AGAINST.HE COULDNT HAVE BEEN REAL SMART IF HE WAS TALKING OPENLY ON HIS HOME PHONE.ANY WISE GUY WITH HALF A BRAIN KNOWS YOU DONT SAY ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN PHONE,WHICH IS WHAT EVENTUALLY DID HIM IN.THE AUTHOR DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB,DESPITE THE LACK OF SUBSTANCE IN MANY OF THE STORIES.I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST FIATO,I JUST GOT THE FEELING HE WASNT BEING TOTALLY TRUTHFULL.HUEVOS YES,BUT BRAINS?GOOD LUCK ON THE RUN ANTHONY.